‘Rubicon conference: Shapers of Our Ritual’

    

The Rubicon Masonic Society will be back next month for its twelfth annual festive board and conference, this time rallying around the theme “The Shapers of Our Ritual.” Four Masonic educators will take turns discussing the four historical figures who, indisputably, have the most to say about the degrees and other ceremonies in our lodges today.

This will be the weekend of September 27 at Lexington, Kentucky. From the publicity:

➤ William Preston, presented by RW Andrew Hammer

➤ Thomas Smith Webb, presented by RW Timothy L. Culhane

➤ Jeremy Ladd Cross, presented by RW S. Brent Morris

➤ Rob Morris, presented by W. John W. Bizzack

MW Terry L. Tilton, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, will deliver the keynote address at the Festive Board, presenting “The Use of Scriptures in Our Ritual.”

Brethren, it is through ritual that Freemasonry connects us and communicates with us harmoniously through the hourglass of time to teach us its aim and purpose. Come and greet old friends, make new ones, and engage in an in-depth exploration of our ritual and the men who shaped it.

The festive board and conference are separate events; for tickets, hotel, and the rest, click here.

     

‘MRF returns to Philadelphia’

    

The Masonic Restoration Foundation will return to the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia August 23-25 for its thirteenth symposium, President Andrew Hammer just announced.

A program of fifteen speakers is planned. If I’m not mistaken, in a first for the MRF, almost half of the presenters are either current or past elected grand lodge officers, which I take to mean the mission of the Foundation has taken root in a good number of grand jurisdictions. If Observant lodges themselves are not proliferating, then at least the inspirations behind them are resonating, which is what matters to me. It is not necessary for a lodge to see itself as an Observant lodge—and in some environments it is inadvisable—so long as the characteristics of Observant Masonry are evident in the lodge’s culture. What are those traits?

“Simply put, Observant Masonry means observing the intent of the founders of Speculative Masonry. That intent was not to build a mere social club or service organisation,” Hammer writes in this essay. “While the Craft—like any other human organization—always has been burdened by men in its ranks who subverted the purposes of the fraternity to a more mundane or profane enterprise, that was never the intent of the institution. That intent was to build an institution that calls men to their highest level of social being, in a state of dignity and decorum, which could serve as a place for serious, mindful discourse on the lessons and meaning of life, and search for the better development of oneself. That intent means building a space where such an experience can be created, and carrying ourselves in a manner that is consistent with our highest ideals and noblest behaviors.”

If you are unfamiliar with the Observant concept, click here to find several links to useful readings.

The format of the MRF symposium remains unchanged.

On Friday, August 23, a Harmony will be hosted inside the Masonic Temple’s Grand Ballroom. Attire: black tie. Keynote: “The Fortitude of Hiram” by MW Brad Billings, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Saturday, August 24 will see the program of speakers, including names you know well and some you will want to get to know. The presentations:

Fraternal Greetings

and Opening Address

Masters of Ceremonies

Rt. Wor. Bro. P. J. Roup

Senior Grand Warden

Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania

Rt. Wor. Bro. Andrew Hammer

President, MRF

Master, Alba Lodge 222,

Washington, DC

Building Rectitude With Relevance:

The Next Generation of Masonry

Rt. Wor. Bro. Andrew Hammer

Walled Gardens, Chesterton Fences,

and Living Lodges

Wor. Bro. Erastus Z. Allen, PM,

Lodge Ad Lucem 812, Pennsylvania

Treasurer, MRF

Cutting Stones:

The New Observant Lodge

Bro. Anthony Augay,

Senior Warden

Robert Burns Lodge 59, Nevada

Most Wor. Bro. Louis Castle, PGM

Robert Burns Lodge 59

The MacBride EA Degree

Lodge Alba 222

Victory Through Harmony:

Transforming an Existing Lodge

Wor. Bro. Donald Carducci, Master,

Victory Through Harmony 94, Quebec

Rt. Wor. Bro. Jean-Frederic Dicaire

Victory Through Harmony Lodge 94

The Way We’ve Always Done It

Wor. Bro. Patrick Craddock, PM,

Prometheus Lodge 851, California

Vice-President, MRF

Are We Not Men?

Rt. Wor. Bro. Oscar Alleyne,

Past Junior Grand Warden,

Grand Lodge of New York

Time, Patience, and Perseverance:

Dealing with Challenges

in the Observant Lodge

Wor. Bro. Dan Kemble, PM,

Lexington Lodge 1, Kentucky

Rt. Wor. Bro. Dana Scofield, PM,

Fibonacci Lodge 112, Vermont

Rt. Wor. Bro. Robert McLeod, PM,

Templum Phoenix Lodge 57

New Brunswick

Most. Wor. Bro. David Cameron

Grand Lodge of Canada

in the Province of Ontario

Moderator: Bro. Andrew Hammer

A Prince Hall Perspective

on Observant Masonry

Rt. Wor. Bro. Kevin Wardally,

Grand Senior Warden,

MW Prince Hall GL of New York

Closing Address

A New Design Upon the Trestleboard

Rt. Wor. Bro. P. J. Roup

Closing Discussion with Speakers

Moderator: Bro. Andrew Hammer

Will the Magpie Mason be in attendance? I’m afraid only for the Friday banquet. D’oh! I am already committed to speak at the John Skene Masonic Conference across the river in Jersey on Saturday. As I’m sure all of you know too well, there are only so many Saturdays. But you should go.

Click here for registration. Click here for the hotel.

     

‘Andrew Hammer tomorrow night’

    

Magpie coverage of the Hudson Valley Masonicon is forthcoming, but while I’m working on that let me promote the appearance Tuesday night of the inimitable Andrew Hammer in New Jersey.

This will be at Essex Lodge 7 in Caldwell, a lodge that has hosted Hammer at least once previously. The graphic above has the details.

Andrew’s message always inspires and is framed in different terms from time to time. He exalts us to achieve the best in lodge practice, and he explains the practical means to get there. Whether you’re familiar with his thinking or not, get there to hear him. And read his book! (My review is here.)

     

‘An evening with Andrew Hammer’

     
No, this is not a win-a-dream-date with Andrew. He will be visiting New Jersey again next month for a speaking engagement. Kindly RSVP no later than February 28.

     

‘Andrew Hammer to visit Inspiratus’

     
Andrew Hammer, president of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, will return to New Jersey next month to visit the area’s Observant lodge, Inspiratus 357, in Lyndhurst. The flier has all the info:

Click to enlarge.

     

‘Register now for the 2017 MRF Symposium’

     

Registration for the Eighth Annual Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium, to be hosted August 18-20 in Vancouver, is open now.

MRF President Andrew Hammer says (with links added by me):

Our host Lodge will be Duke of Connaught Lodge No. 64, and the venue is the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and the Yukon, AF&AM. As usual, the event will begin with a Harmony (Festive Board) held in the Dining Hall on Friday evening, conducted by the host lodge, and featuring comments from our keynote speaker, M.W. Brother Philip Durell, PGM. Along with our usual line-up of interesting speakers, brothers will have the opportunity to see a Master Mason degree using the Canadian Working.

Registration for the Symposium is $125.00 USD, and $75.00 USD for the Saturday session only. Brothers who wish to attend only the Friday night Harmony will pay $50 USD.

We are hoping that this will be an opportunity for an exchange of different perspectives and methods of Masonic practice in Canada and the United States. All the information you need to participate is found here on this website. We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium!


I am happy to see that most of the speakers this year are new to MRF symposia. Their topics are:

• The Chief Point of Freemasonry
• The Flower of Life: An Examination of Masonic Geometry
• Restoring the Masonic Ethos of Our Founders
• Observant Masonry in Canada
• The Art of Memory in Masonic Ritual
• The Question of Intention in the Three Degrees
• The Importance of Initiation: Rites of Passage
• Dining in the Observant Lodge
• Time, Patience, and Perseverance: Challenges in an Observant Lodge
• The Future of Freemasonry

Click here to find their bios.

Click here for the program in PDF.

Click here for hotel information.

Click here for registration.

One of these days, for a Flashback Friday post, I’ll have to finally remember to write about the 2015 symposium in Philadelphia.
     

‘Andrew Hammer to present Walker Lecture’

     

Andrew Hammer, Past Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, president of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, and author of Observing the Craft, among other proofs of service to the fraternity, will present the Wendell K. Walker Lecture in March.

Follow the instructions on this flier:

Click to enlarge.

     

‘Book your MRF reservations now’

     
I won’t be able to make it this year, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t attend the Masonic Restoration Foundation’s symposium this August in North Carolina. A letter from MRF President Andrew Hammer yesterday advises against procrastination in registering for the weekend of events, and I share it here in the hope of nudging some of those who need to learn about the Observant model of Masonic lodge off the fence. I had the pleasure of attending the previous two symposia (even presenting a talk last year in Philadelphia), and I highly recommend the experience if you are committed to, or even just curious about, the Observant movement, which I believe advances the most beneficial suite of lodge practices today.

Now, I just have to persuade the MRF to come to New York City.

Anyway, here is Andrew’s note to those who attended last summer:


Brethren,

That time of year is here again. The Masonic Restoration Foundation will be having its Seventh Annual Symposium in Asheville, North Carolina from August 19-21, and I wanted to send out a special message reminding you to register early if you would like to attend. Please take note of the following points:

REGISTRATION LIMIT
This year the registration is capped at 200, with a limit of 137 on the Harmony/Festive Board on Friday night.

Full registration is proceeding at twice the speed of last year, so early registration is the best way to guarantee your place at the event.

The Harmony on Friday night is now halfway booked, three months out from the event.

BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW
Asheville, North Carolina is one of the prime tourist destinations in the South. We have secured a block of rooms at the Sheraton nearest the Temple. Don’t procrastinate in making your arrangements.

To find out everything you need to know about the Seventh Annual MRF Symposium, go here.

Fraternally,

Andrew Hammer
President, Masonic Restoration Foundation
     

‘MRF 2016 Symposium’

     

I am in Philadelphia now, enjoying the Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Sixth Annual Symposium, where it was announced just now that next year’s event will be hosted in Asheville, North Carolina, August 19-21.

Both the grand master and the deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina are in attendance, displaying a level of commitment to the cause of the MRF that I do not believe I’ve ever seen from top ranking officials from anywhere. The two lodges that will share hosting duties next year are Sophia Lodge No. 767 in Salisbury, the jurisdiction’s first Observant lodge; and Veritas Lodge U.D. in Asheville, which I suppose will be the second such lodge in the Tar Heel State. And I must mention how MRF President Andrew Hammer is Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina as well.

Oh! And the MRF will meet in Vancouver, B.C. in 2017!

Full Magpie coverage of this weekend’s wonderful activities to come in a few days.
     

‘MRF Symposium 2015’

     
The Masonic Restoration Foundation’s Sixth Annual Symposium in Philadelphia is only a month away, but the deadline to register is July 31.

I am happy to report most of the presenters this year are brethren of The Masonic Society. Yours truly will be among them, and I hardly can contain my excitement to be working with these Freemasons.

All the copy that follows is taken directly from the MRF’s website, but here are the essential links:

Symposium registration here. Hotel accommodations here. Full program here.

Click to enlarge.

The Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium is the largest gathering of Masons in the United States who are expressly committed to observing the highest standards of excellence in the Craft. This year we are honored and privileged to be holding this great event at what is arguably the most beautiful Masonic temple on the continent: the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The Symposium will take place from August 21-23, with meetings conducted in Corinthian, Ionic, and Norman Halls. The event will begin with an authentic English-styled Festive Board held in the Grand Banquet Hall on Friday evening, conducted by the brethren of Fiat Lux Lodge No. 1717, an English Emulation Lodge chartered under the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and featuring comments from our Keynote Speaker, Robert Herd. Along with our usual lineup of interesting speakers, brothers will have the opportunity to see an Entered Apprentice degree using the unique Pennsylvania ritual, conferred by Fritz Lodge No. 308, the host lodge for the Symposium. Registration for the Symposium is $110.00.

This event is not to be missed, and we have secured excellent rates for accommodation at the Courtyard directly across from the Temple. All the information you need to participate is found here on this web site. We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium!

Brian Skoff
Master, Fritz Lodge No. 308
Organizer, MRF Symposium 2015

What is the MRF Symposium?

The MRF Symposium is a meeting place for Masons who are seeking the highest form of Masonic experience they can attain within their lodges, while strictly conforming to the laws, resolutions, and edicts of their respective grand lodges. It is a gathering for those who pursue quality in the Craft to share ideas and discuss their work. The Symposium begins on Friday evening at 7 PM, with a Festive Board in the Grand Banquet Hall, and concludes at noon on Sunday. We are fortunate to have an excellent program of speakers and presenters this year.

Who May Attend the Symposium?

Any Mason in good standing may register for the Symposium, provided he is a member of a Grand Lodge which is a member of, or is recognized by any of the Grand Lodges which are members of, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America. Registration for the Symposium is $110.00.

Topics and Panels

• Freemasonry’s “Near Death” Experience
• Constituting a New Observant Lodge
• Restoring an Existing Lodge
• The Initiatory Experience and Human Nature
• Incorporating the Fine Arts into the Lodge
• The Role of the Masonic Restoration Foundation
• Restoration Through the Centuries
• Come to Your Senses
• Admit Him if Properly Clothed
• Can We Transform a Brotherhood of Change?

Oscar Alleyne will give the Symposium's
Closing Address on Sunday morning.

Andrew Hammer, President of the Masonic Restoration

Foundation, will present the Opening Address.

Robert Herd will deliver the keynote address
at the Festive Board on Friday evening.

Dress Code for the Symposium: The Festive Board Friday evening will be formal (tuxedo is preferred, but black suit and black tie will be acceptable).

Saturday all attendees are required to wear dark suit and tie. No jeans or sneakers are permitted in the Temple.

Sunday will be business casual.

Note on Parking: A 20 percent discount will be provided only at the parking garage located at 1201 Filbert St, Philadelphia (if you exit the 13th Street side of the garage, the rear of the hotel is across 13th Street).
     

‘Masonic Society news’

     
Issue No. 26 of The Journal of The Masonic Society is reaching members’ mailboxes now and, since it is still St. John’s Day, I thought I’d share the details with some other news. First, for those who can attend Masonic Week in Virginia next month, please know The Masonic Society’s Feast and Forum (our annual meeting) will be hosted Friday, January 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the hotel. Click here for the Masonic Week meal reservations form, and don’t forget New Year’s Day is the deadline for reserving your accommodations.

Second, if you want to advertise in the pages of The Journal, have a look at our rate card, and contact me at ads(at)themasonicsociety(dot)com to make the arrangements.

I haven’t received my copy of The Journal yet, but Bro. Leif in Norway got his, and Bro. Makia in Jersey received his, and Secretary Nathan in Indianapolis took delivery on the overruns a few days ago, so it’s getting around. Anyway, in this Fall 2014 issue, you shall find a complementary mix of writings providing insight into ritual, some current events, smart analysis for best practices, and other, frankly, must read info you need to know.

Casey A. Fletcher, a Member of the Society, presents “Elus in an Envelope,” an exploration of the 9°, 10°, and 11° of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (Southern Jurisdiction) of Freemasonry. The “Elu Degrees” convey an alternative story from what is revealed to Master Masons in most Masonic lodges in the United States. Fletcher provides his readers description of the action in these rituals, which is indispensible to those who haven’t received these SJ degrees, and he explains some of the vexing esoteric aspects of the degrees that I hope will entice Master Masons to pursue membership in the A&ASR-SJ.

In her “A Brief Historiography on the Persecution of Freemasons During the Spanish Inquisition,” anthropology Ph.D. candidate Laura M. Wilhelm of University of Nevada-Reno compares and contrasts distinct historical narratives from the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries that show Freemasons as hunted victims of the Inquisition in Europe and the New World, and Freemasons as masters of the world, spreading around the globe with the rise of British Empire, and its unbridled proliferation across the United States. Of course the two streams of history are not mutually exclusive. Freemasonry is a human society that adapts to any locale; it can be revolutionary and heretical where dissent from authority is needed to spark liberty, and it can be peacefully conservative in free societies. It can be compromised and compliant in Cuba. Long story short: Ms. Wilhelm does a fine job of piecing together less known facts to relate a story that will advance your Masonic knowledge.

I smiled when I read the headline of Mohamad Yatim’s article “Freemasonry and Your Return on Investment,” knowing that my friend’s professional background in finance and his honed leadership skills in Freemasonry would result in a bold opinion that needs to be heard: Namely, that the officers of Masonic lodges must be thoughtful and practical in structuring the revenue side of a lodge’s budget.

Long ago, when the iconoclast Stephen Dafoe compiled his Masonic Dictionary, the letter D entry was “Dues that Don’t Anymore” by Masonic secretary-treasurer extraordinaire Nathan Brindle (actually the Secretary-Treasurer of The Masonic Society), who patiently explained the urgency for lodges and other bodies to assess their financial needs and manage their dues rates accordingly. From what I can see in my own Masonic memberships and observations of others, Nathan’s call has been heeded. As far as I’m concerned, the goal is not to raise dues for the sake of raising dues, nor even to “keep out the riff-raff”—riff and raff very often will come up with the money if motivated—but to ensure the lodge is adequately funded every year, and able to save some for tomorrow. Being adequately funded by the lodge’s membership reaps two principle benefits: That Masons themselves accept the basic obligation of sustaining their lodges, and that lodges need not trick the public into paying the bills either by renting the premises or, worse, hosting the abominable pancake dinners and spaghetti breakfasts that no one admits are tacky and unprofitable.

Anyway, Mohamad illustrates how the decline of the U.S. Dollar has been ignored for many years by lodges in the United States, and he makes the compelling case—the only argument worth hearing—that Freemasons should pay sufficient annual dues to create a quality Masonic experience. Proper maintenance of building and grounds; meals we’d be proud to serve and eager to eat; furniture, décor, paraphernalia, regalia, etc. in great shape; and some parity with other men’s attractions, like golf club memberships, are vital exterior characteristics that make a Masonic lodge appear relevant in the 21st century. How does your lodge fare?

Michael Halleran, our Executive Editor (and Grand Master of Kansas), suggests an “Implausible Collaboration?” in which he tells the story of a Mason named Charles Gray, a doctor in the U.S. Cavalry during the Civil War. Drawing from Gray’s diary, Halleran presents the amazing personal story of a Union officer who was permitted to travel to lodges despite being… a prisoner of war. The New York (Ark Lodge) Mason was captive in South Carolina, where he visited lodges and enjoyed hospitality and gifts from the local brethren. Any well read Mason ought to know facts and fables of Masonic civility between combatants, particularly during the U.S. Civil War, which show how Masonic brotherhood can transcend borders and conflict when the Masons involved give life to the spirit of the brotherhood, but this is “a direct, contemporaneous, and unimpeachable account of actual Masonic collaboration between enemies.” But not all was brotherly love. Some Masons among the Confederates passionately objected to the fraternization, and made damning charges against those who treated their captured brethren to fairly extravagant comforts.

In the end, Dr. Gray was released from incarceration in July 1862, and he returned to New York, but then resumed a career in the Army. “For reasons unknown,” as Halleran concludes with this startling detail, “[Gray] withdrew his membership in Ark Lodge on 3 May 1870.”

In his “The Observant Mason” column, Andrew Hammer presents “Perfecting Our Points of Entrance.” Here, the author of Observing the Craft explains how ritual might benefit from a reordering of the Perfect Points of Entrance. As we know them, the guttural, the pectoral, the manual, and the pedal correspond to the Four Cardinal Virtues. In Hammer’s estimation, “the four perfect points of entrance may correspond to the four realms of existence as found in the Kabbalah. These realms take us from the temporal to the spiritual plane, and correspond to overlapping areas of the Sefirot, or Tree of Life.”

In short, this most thoughtful and esteemed speculative Mason reassigns each Point of Entrance to a different Cardinal Virtue. Readers familiar with Hammer rightly can expect another clearly reasoned suggestion for improved understanding of Masonic ritual and symbol, and those who do not know Hammer yet may be startled by his unapologetically being right all the time.

And finally in the feature article department is my own reportage of the 2014 Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium at Cincinnati in August. I cannot believe it’s been four months already, and I’m glad I wrote this story so I don’t forget what happened. The full text of the article is below; it is a slightly different and definitely longer version than what could fit in The Journal.

Elsewhere in The Journal are the usual features:

• President’s Message – The lovely and talented Jim Dillman delves into Indiana Masonic history to find a valuable lesson in charity.
• News of the Society – Cool current events in the Craft. And some weird, scary stuff too.
• Conferences, Speeches, Symposia & Gatherings – our calendar of Masonic events in your district and around the world.
• Book Reviews – Contemporary and classic titles reviewed by the sharpest minds.
• Masonic Collectibles – An exclusive look at exceptional rarities courtesy of—who else?—Yasha Beresiner. Not to be confused with Masonic Treasures, which adorns the back cover.

If you are a Freemason in a lodge under a grand lodge that is part of, or in amity with, the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, then you should join The Masonic Society, and enjoy the benefits of membership. Our quarterly Journal, a membership patent you’ll want to have framed for proud display, and other tokens of fraternal esteem are waiting for you. Click here and take it from there.


Here is my news from the MRF 2014 Symposium:

Masonic Restoration Foundation

meets in Ohio

The Masonic Restoration Foundation hosted its Fifth Annual Symposium in August in Cincinnati, Ohio, drawing hundreds of Freemasons from around the United States to learn about the Observance movement from those who have set T.O. lodges to labor. Founded in 2001, the MRF, according to its website, “serves as a clearinghouse of best practices in Freemasonry. Its supporters share ideas and information, discuss Masonic topics, and conduct local, regional, and national Masonic education conferences upon request of members or lodges, and with permission of the Grand Lodge in which its events are held.” This weekend event was hosted jointly by Caliburn Lodge No. 785 and Arts & Sciences Lodge No. 792, both of Ohio, with Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 of Indiana and Lodge Ad Lucem No. 812 of Pennsylvania. The itinerary kept its participants and guests active with discussions, lectures, meals, and ritual, among other attractions. It should be noted how all seven brethren who presented lectures during the symposium are members of The Masonic Society.

The location was the Cincinnati Masonic Center, a beautiful example of neo-classical architecture built in 1928. Its origins begin in 1916, when the Cincinnati Masonic Temple Company began acquiring contiguous properties in the Queen City’s downtown business district with the goal of erecting a temple. The Scottish Rite Valley of Cincinnati and Syrian Shrine joined the effort (although the Shrine did not move in), and the result is the grand landmark on East Fifth Street, a location well known in the city thanks, in part, to its Taft Theater, a popular performing arts space. Bro. Donald Crews, author of the newly published book Cincinnati’s Freemasons (and a TMS Member), began the symposium with his lecture recounting the history of Freemasonry in Ohio, an informative and very interactive talk that engaged many brethren from out of state whose grand jurisdictions played roles in the establishment of the fraternity in Ohio during the 1790s.

Bob Davis at the informal
Sunday panel discussion.

The brethren adjourned to the ballroom for a festive board hosted by Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 of Indianapolis. The fine meal with ample libations for the toasts would have been enough, but MRF Past President Robert G. Davis of Oklahoma (a Founding Fellow of TMS) complemented the affair with his well received lecture “Journey to the Masculine Soul,” his thoughtful explanation of why good men should explore the mysteries of Freemasonry. “When we create lodges where the overriding vision is social honor and we select men of status to join our ranks, we sustain the cultural paradigm upon which Freemasonry was erected,” he said. “We educate and demonstrate to every generation of members the Masonic importance of status. And the way we sustain status in our lodges over time is when the upper level men become mentors to the lower level men and the upper level men are consciously aware that the subject of mentoring is social honor—which can only be taught through life experience and symbolic interaction.”

Davis’ term “social honor” is key. “In the hierarchical relations of lodge, (and we are informed in the Entered Apprentice Charge of this relationship), we are indeed superiors, inferiors, and equals to each other, and it is essential that we play roles as all three,” he added. “We must be prepared to pass from one position to another just as we are born, age and die. We must be taught, as we must teach others. This is the true dynamic of our society of Brothers. There is a time to rule, a time to be ruled, and finally, there is a time to pass the reins to the next generation.”

“Tying this to social honor—the inferior, no less than his superior—regulates the social contract we have with each other as Brothers,” Davis explained. “This is why an inter-generational contract works. The ideal type of equality is friendship. We cannot have friends who are not equals. The social contract required in Freemasonry is that friendship lives in honor. Honor determines status because again, above all else, a specific style of life is expected from all those who wish to belong to the inner circle. In a fraternal sense, style is our group identity. We dress and act like others whose company we cherish. Honor in an aristocratic sense is an exclusive concept. Only peers are considered capable of honor.”

The altar of Arts & Sciences Lodge No. 792 holds six VSLs.

The next morning a lodge of Master Masons was opened by Arts & Sciences Lodge No. 792, an Observant lodge set to labor four years ago. Six Volumes of Sacred Law appear on the altar. In addition to the Holy Bible there are the Tanakh, the Koran, a Shinto text, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Jefferson Bible, Thomas Jefferson’s interpretation of the Gospels published after his death. The solemn opening impressed the brethren assembled, who filled nearly every seat in the spacious Eastern Star Room. Refreshment was called so that the day’s programs could begin. Four lectures were offered in pairs in the morning, forcing the attendees to make hard choices of which to attend. TMS Member Oscar Alleyne of New York presented “Fides, Vita, Rex: Communicating Esoteric Topics without Making Them Run for the Hills,” and TMS Founding Member Daniel Hrinko of Ohio, a psychologist, discussed “The Initiatory Experience and Human Nature.” Hrinko explained in plain language the mutual benefits of a lodge bringing a new man into the fraternity, and cautioned that each petitioner deserves particular care. It is essential to both those who initiate and those initiated that time and effort be invested and for familiarity to be established—steps far beyond what an investigating committee takes, and even what one mentor can offer. He advocates devoting up to six months to help a petitioner and the lodge decide if they are right for one another—a busy period of establishing trust, building a potentially lasting connection that is a fundamental to the initiatory experience. “We do things for emotional experiences, so try to understand why he petitions for the degrees of Freemasonry,” Hrinko added. “Tell him our reasons to help him discover his reasons. Make it personal.” The months leading to an Entered Apprentice Degree should be a mutual personal investment with readings (Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave,” for example) and honest discussions to build friendship. And when the time arrives for initiation, the lodge must fill its role as a sacred space that receives new members with respect and solemnity.

Paul Smith

The second pair of lectures were delivered by Shawn Eyer of Washington, DC (a Founding Fellow), who praised the virtues of music in lodge with “And Hinder Not Music,” and Member Paul Smith of New Hampshire, who spoke with moving candor of “Forming a New Lodge: Sharing the Reality.” Smith recounted his tale of laboring in the quarries of his mother lodge, and weathering various frustrations in the process, before his personal studies led him to the Traditional Observance movement—and the real headaches began. The steps taken by Smith and a small group of like-minded brethren were common sense and necessary; he explained in detail how a club was formed to examine the many aspects of T.O. lodges and figure the best ways to incorporate them into a local lodge. “What do we envision?” they asked reflectively. The organizing—matters of regalia, lodge paraphernalia, and the like—were easily addressed, but they faced resistance when presenting the concept to other Masons, including close friends. Those who have been around long enough recognize that obstacle. Accusations of elitism and similar conduct abounded, but the founders of what would become Phoenix Lodge No. 105 responded with a Masonic relations campaign to clarify the myths and facts of T.O. lodges, including sending forth brethren to speak in other lodges about the virtues of the T.O. model. When it was time to call a vote of the Grand Lodge, it was unanimously in favor of chartering the lodge. Smith explained the commitment the lodge makes and its candidates’ reciprocity. One requires eighteen months of activity before being raised to the Third Degree: six as a petitioner, six as an Apprentice, and six as a Fellow Craft. This time includes making presentations to the lodge that demonstrate understandings of Masonic ritual and symbol, and other displays of understanding.

Smith’s overall message to those embarking on creating their own Observant lodge is don’t believe for a minute that it will be easy and will enjoy the support of the grand lodge. The reality is not only will there be opposition, but that even some of your supporters will change their minds, but if there is room for convivial Masons and charitable Masons, there also must be room made for those brethren who work toward excellence in meaningful ritual and continuous Masonic education.

Michael Clevenger

The Keynote Presentation of the day came from Michael Clevenger, a Past Master of New England Lodge No. 4 in Ohio, a Leadership Instructor for the Grand Lodge, and a TMS Founding Member, who discussed “Becoming Masonry.” For this writer, it indeed was the most salient summation of not only the specific cause of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, but also of the meaning of Freemasonry itself. Clevenger presented practical philosophy; he puts into the brethren’s hands the tools needed to craft a Masonic life. This is not recitation of ritual, but a way to use ritual and symbol to create daily lessons that modify one’s attitudes and behavior, augmented by plans that reinforce Masonic teachings and in effect serve to organize the mind along Masonic philosophy. In Clevenger’s system, each degree and every Working Tool provides ways to apply Masonic teaching to daily life. Worksheets give the Masonic student a place to write down and compare ideas, such as what the ritual says, for example, about the Common Gavel; what the Common Gavel means to the Mason personally; and how he will use these concepts in real life. In addition, the brother is challenged to envision how the Common Gavel and his knowledge of it will benefit his life, his family, job, community, and—yes—Masonic lodge. In setting specific goals, Clevenger’s method encourages daily reinforcement of Masonic values. A Freemason is to know himself, through reflection, evaluation, and learning; to know others by developing relationships; to be of value to others by assuming an attitude of service; to show respect by practicing the Golden Rule; and to be a leader who displays Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.

In addition to the ritual oaths and obligations of Masonic degrees, Clevenger devised “My Masonic Obligation,” a philosophic guide to life: “I am a Mason because I believe that no man should live his life in a random manner. He should be guided by a plan that honors his God, supports his fellow man, and provides a way to improve himself daily. Masonry provides this plan for me, and I will live in pursuit of knowledge and understanding for the purpose of providing for my family, supporting my Masonic brethren, and improving my community. My continued hope is that I live respected and die regretted.”

Chris Hodapp and Mark Tabbert

It’s always a treat to meet the authors of the books we love, and rounding out the lectures with informality and ease were TMS Founding Fellow Chris Hodapp and Member Andrew Hammer, author of Observing the Craft as well as the President of the MRF, appearing separately for Q&A with the brethren. The session with Hodapp was facilitated by Founding Fellow Mark Tabbert, of the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Virginia, who made the most of Hodapp’s breadth of knowledge as the tireless traveling man who probably has visited more lodges than anyone in promotion of his book Freemasons for Dummies, which has sold more than 120,000 copies, making it the best selling book on Freemasonry in generations. “Traditional Observance is not the savior or golden goose for us all,” he cautioned. “At Vitruvian, we sometimes have more visitors than members. So pay attention to the visitors. You are influencing their thoughts.” Attentiveness to new brethren is key also. “A Mason’s fourth meeting is the most important one,” Hodapp added, “because that’s when he sees if the fraternity practices what it preaches.” He also noted a change in what’s being preached, meaning the most common question facing the fraternity in recent years was what does the lodge do for the community, but with a generational change, that thinking has vanished. Remedies he’d like to see include increases in annual dues and assessments, so that Masonry places a higher value on itself; the abandonment of one-day mass initiations; and a split of the Shrine from Freemasonry to allow the Nobles to do everything necessary to raise funds for their hospitals. “I’m very optimistic about the fraternity,” he concluded. “A younger generation will come in like a freight train, raising dues and insisting that ritual work be better.”

But the day was not over yet. The brethren returned to the lodge, and the Craft was called back to Labor to witness Lodge Ad Lucem No. 812 of Pennsylvania confer the Master Mason Degree of its jurisdiction’s ritual. Unique among the various Craft rituals of the United States, the Pennsylvanians’ ritual is akin to certain lodge rituals of England. One Fellow Craft was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in a ceremony none will soon forget. Contributing toward the spirited community of the brethren was the closing event of the day: a Scotch Harmony—a lesson on pairing savory hors d’oeuvres with exotic whiskies, with generous samples of all and the guiding hand of a Scotch whisky expert.

The Sixth Annual Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium will take place August 21-23 at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s famous Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.